


Crusader Kings Complex

by DrWowThatHurt



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Major Character Injury, Mind Manipulation, Monsters, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24377140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrWowThatHurt/pseuds/DrWowThatHurt
Summary: “Crusader Kings Complex,” Sebastian would call it. The feeling you have when you just can’t stop doing something, how you keep telling yourself to do one more round, complete one more level, make it to the next save point. For you, your complex revolves around the mines. Down one more ladder, just need to make it to the next floor, to the next elevator and I can go, I need to get to the bottom. You’ve been feeling this pull, the carnal need to keep going since you’ve reached floor… 85 you think? It was tolerable for a few weeks, you were able to ignore it and keep up with your friends and your date, your crops and your animals all fine. The mines used to be a rainy day thing for you, just to get some ore and gemstones. You told Harvey about your adventures once, but the worry that painted his face made you feel too guilty to mention it again to him. You just didn’t tell him you went to the mines. It was all under control and ok. Until you hit floor 100.
Relationships: Harvey (Stardew Valley)/Reader, Harvey/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Harvey/Male Player (Stardew Valley), Harvey/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 78





	Crusader Kings Complex

Harvey sighed and looked at his watch. _He should have been here by now, it’s half past five._ He knows he shouldn’t be so clingy, but his partner's behaviour in the last week has been frankly _worrying._ And sure, he worries all the time, but something really feels wrong in his gut this time.   
The partner in question is you, the town farmer. Over your few seasons of dating, and the seasons of friendship before that, you’ve formed a sort of routine. Right in the morning, around 9:00, after you have tended their animals and picked your crops, you’d drop by and visit the clinic before going to Pierre’s. Sometimes you’d grab some meds or first aid supplies, and sometimes bring a gift of a homemade bottle of wine or jar of pickled vegetables you grew yourself. In the evening, around 5, once you’ve made all your stops and watered the crops, you’d stay for supper (Harvey’s fridge stocked with your produce), and a few hours after that.   
Recently, though, you’ve been… a _little_ distracted. Your visits with your boyfriend have been less frequent and more rushed. Harvey noticed how frazzled you seem, you usually tidy self now disheveled, like you slept in what you’re wearing. You’ve been picking up some of the big bulk first aid supplies, and when Harvey questioned it, you lied, “Best to keep a good stock, you know. Accidents happen all the time on the farm!” You didn’t realize Harvey saw right through it, because he _knows_ you are very careful when you work. You’re completely unlike yourself. Your friends have been wondering why you haven’t dropped by, how you missed video game Friday, where were you at the stardrop. Harvey _especially_ noted the long, sharpened bone sword you always keep at your hip, every time he’s seen you over the last week. At first he thought it quite charming, but now a snake of dread creeps in him, wondering if that's how it was always coloured or is it more stained with something.  
 _Granted,_ Harvey reasons with himself time and time again, _we’re both busy. It’s Autumn, the most stacked time of year for us! Surely, they just have a lot of crops to handle, don’t they? They haven’t said that they’re doing anything, and surely I am able to trust their word on that._ He makes himself something quick to eat, defeated in waiting for you to arrive again, and heads to bed without a word from you.

\-----

At first, Harvey thought you were cheating. He quickly denied that, he trusted you so much more than that. You were busy, and he can understand that, and should give you space. Harvey smoothed himself as he put on his jacket and slung on his doctor's bag, about to head to give Linus his regular checkup up in the mountains. _You’ll come to him when you need him, surely._ Moving his worries aside, he greeted Linus at the end of his walk, and went about the regular questions, the usual checks. Harvey was packing up and getting ready to head back to the clinic when Linus put a hand on Harvey’s shoulder to stop him. “The farmer is a good friend of mine, and you’d know them more than me.” Harvey blinks at Linus’ statement, before he outright asks, “Harvey, _are they doing okay?_ ” Befuddled and startled for a moment, he queries, “I’d think so, why? Do you think something is wrong with them?”  
Linus gives Harvey a long, hard look. “ _Harvey,_ for the last 4 nights, I’ve seen them limping out from the mines and back westward. I thought they were going to you, _especially_ after what happened two nights ago. _I had to carry them home because they collapsed from exhaustion a short walk past my tent_.”  
Linus’ words hit Harvey like a bag of bricks.

\-----

“Crusader Kings Complex,” Sebastian would call it. The feeling you have when you just can’t stop doing something, how you keep telling yourself to do one more round, complete one more level, make it to the next save point. For you, your complex revolves around the mines. Down one more ladder, just need to make it to the next floor, to the next elevator and I can go, _I need to get to the bottom._ You’ve been feeling this _pull,_ the carnal need to keep going since you’ve reached floor… 85 you think? It was tolerable for a few weeks, you were able to ignore it and keep up with your friends and your date, your crops and your animals all fine. The mines used to be a rainy day thing for you, just to get some ore and gemstones. You told Harvey about your adventures once, but the worry that painted his face made you feel too guilty to mention it again to him. You just didn’t tell him you went to the mines. It was all under control and ok. _Until you hit floor 100._  
You can no longer focus on anything else. You want to go down deeper until you physically can't anymore. You can barely take care of your duties on the farm, your friends have been wondering why you haven’t been stopping by, and you do try to stop by your boyfriends, but all of your time or energy is bent on the mines. It’s _terrifying_. You can barely stop your feet sometimes, when you’re zoned out you find yourself walking north- to the mines. Every time you close your eyes you can feel the cavern calling to you. It fills your dreams, deeper, deeper, hacking, shashing, fighting, you barely notice you’ve been injured until you’re forcing yourself away from the place. It’s hard to sleep, the feeling of the cavern walls beats inside your head like a drum. _You have to get to the bottom. Everything can go back to normal then. You have to get to the bottom. It’s your purpose. _  
__

\-----

You’ve been counting. Every ladder you hastily clamber yourself down- every floor. You slip and fall down the ladder, your body is being annoyingly cumbersome lately, and you hear a crunch as you hit the floor. It's a stone brick, smooth and perfectly kept. _Floor 120._ You look up in wait of whatever horror awaits in a room like this, but it’s simply a small, unusually clean brick room, torchlit with a large chest in the center. The elevator bell tings on the opposite end. Your heartbeat thunders through all your senses, and you’re nearly overwhelmed with the feeling that this is _it._ Your cheeks feel wet- a lot of you feels wet, actually, and take a moment to notice that pretty much every part of your body has blood on it- yours and/or otherwise. Neverminding that, you kneel before the gilded chest, sword clambouring on the floor, and you push the unlocked lid open like it was greased yesterday. There is only one, small object inside, it’s compartment way too big for it. Pulling it out, pads of your fingers feeling the bone it’s made out of, it hits you- _everything_. You’ve been fighting for every step for over a week, barely sleeping, sloppily and hastily stitching and wrapping your wounds, all of that pain and work hitting you _all at once_. You realize how much blood you must have lost- how much it hurts to breathe, how you hear like your head is stuffed with wool, and your mind swoons and you crumple forward, the key still tightly gripped in hand. You heave once, twice, and several parts are your body stab and sear with pain. You collapse on the ground, rolling to your back, the room swimming... and decide that a nap would do you good- _then, then you can, you have to… have to... what’s your purpose again...?_

\-----

Harvey pants as he stands in the elevator, holding your axe out in front of him at the door like it was his lifeline. Harvey found it tossed in an ajar chest just outside the elevator door, and you’re riding down it as far as it will go. After what Linus said, he supplied that you entered the mines again this morning, and you haven’t been seen since. With it being nearing dusk now, Harvey’s mind races with everything that could’ve happened, having had treated the aftermath of monster attacks on Leah and Linus before, and having heard rumors of the things that go on so deep in the mines. Speaking of deep, Harvey’s been in this elevator for 20 minutes, easily, and he shudders at the thought of how far underground they are. Harvey worries he didn’t bring enough with him in his medical bag. With the distant roars and snarls just past the doors, he worries that this axe isn’t enough. No matter how hard he tries to bite back the _what ifs,_ he can’t help but feel the dread of waiting for the elevator to stop and a large, snarling beast to greet him, the one that already finished off-  
The elevator shakes and gently hits the ground. _The bottom._ The bell tings, and the doors smoothly open, and Harvey relaxes at no sight or sound of any beast or dangerous creature, but his breath catches as he sees your bleeding body lying on the ground a few meters ahead. _I have a job to do._

\-----

_Everything feels sore._ You’re not in pain, really, just _very_ sore and uncomfortable.There’s something laying next to your thigh, and you notice just by feeling you’re not wearing what you wore when you fell asleep. Opening your heavy eyes, you don’t see the torchlit bricks of the 120th floor, but a white, standard ceiling. The lights are off. Looking down, Harvey’s asleep- head resting on the bed you’re laying in.  
 **Oh Fuck.**  
You jerk in your startle at the sudden realization- **where’s the key?!** Where is it- you try and move in search but your body protests in its bindings and-  
Harvey has his hand on your shoulder. “Easy, easy, you’re at the clinic.”  
Wait, _you’re in the clinic,_ wait, you’re hooked up to more than one thing, there’s a mask on your face and a few things poked in your arm, and you’re very wrapped up.  
A long sigh escapes you as you relax a mite as you comprehend the situation. “Harv-“ you barely manage to croak out- your throat feels burnt and clogged, tasting acid on your tongue. Harvey looks like he’s been crying, and very, very tired. The wash of guilt nearly makes you sob. “I’m sorry,” you manage after swallowing hard a few times. Harvey gives you a watery look, moving his hand to cup your cheek, and assures you, “Just rest for now, honey.” You move your mask to give him a faux kiss with it.

\-----

The morning sun lit the room. “You broke your left leg, sprained the left ankle, you have 6 broken ribs and your right hand is broken. I had to put 20 stitches in your shoulder, and replace the many others you did _yourself._ ” There was a long, shaky breath before Harvey continued explaining, Maru having come and gone briefly. “Farmer... you’ve been asleep for _2 days_. You’ve only become briefly conscious to vomit after I had to perform CPR on you. _Farmer_ , you _stopped breathing_ while me and Linus were carrying you here, and _once again in your sleep_ after I had finished your stitches,” his speech had become stern and watery. “Every single one of your wounds has a _high_ chance of being infected because of the state you were in,” Harvey was about to sob now, “and I had to fight for your life through all of it, sunshine. _What in the world were you doing, why did you do this- hide all of this from me, why did you keep going back in the mines and not to me_.” Two large tears rolled down Harvey’s cheeks as his breath shook and his voice wavered. “I trusted you,” he said, so very weak.  
Out of everything you could have felt, sadness, guilt, pain, anger- you felt _terrified._ You were terrified that you couldn’t even explain it yourself. “I don’t know,” you breathe, “Something about that place, it came over me. I.. couldn’t stop thinking about it. It haunted me and moved me. Every part of my body needed to get to the bottom.” It was clear Harvey could read your expression, and he looked away. “To the bottom you did get,” he replied solemnly, holding your hand. You did not ever want to let go of it.

\-----

Your friends Sam, Abigail and Sebastian dropped by while you were still stuck in bed, and as soon as you were able to use crutches, you insisted on going back to the farm- Marnie and Shane had enough to take care of as it was.  
“You’re going to need a farmhand then,” Harvey replied, “You won’t be able to do everything on your own.” It was a fair and valid deduction, you still weren’t _super_ mobile and fit to do your usual day’s work, and the idea of Harvey helping you on the farm managed to make your heart flutter.  
Doing farmwork with a broken hand and leg proved a challenge, but Harvey proved that he could handle a lot of the work well. You told him about your crops, and introduced him properly to all your livestock, and following your example, Harvey was an excellent farmhand. It was obvious your animals had missed you, but thankfully Marnie and Shane seemed to have kept the place in good shape with your absence.  
 _Absence._  
You paused in your cranberry picking. It dawns on you that you nearly _died_ \- twice, _twice_ you nearly died. You could have been dead when Harvey found you, your farm to be abandoned once more, Harvey… you look over to him beside you, and he stops too. He had to fight for your life. You can’t imagine what he had gone through to keep you here, and you realize in retrospect that he’s seemed a lot more… clingy? Close, is a better word. It’s like he’s scared to leave you alone again. You also realize that it's definitely deserved- you still have no idea what _happened_ to you mentally, what made you push everything and nearly leave it all behind. All for a damn _key._ You smile at Harvey, and continue picking berries.  
That evening, you’re seated in your dining room chair, and Harvey is busy redressing the wounds that are still healing, spreading ointment along all of the sore stitches. “You’re so lucky these aren’t infected, that you still have use in this arm,” Harvey quietly scolds, “You should have come to me before all of this happened.” You stay guiltily silent, and Harvey sits back for a moment, finished with his work. “ _Forty-Seven stitches_. I put forty-seven stitches in you. Counted every single one,” he murmurs, watery, “I am _so, so_ damn glad I found you.” He nearly laughs, a broken smile on his face. “I’m so glad too,” you reply softly. Harvey nods, and is captured in a long, weepy hug. “Thank you,” you whisper in his ear. “Stay here, with me, in my house, would you? I don’t want you to go,” you offer, when you finally pull back, good hand trailing to his, he nearly starts crying again.

\-----

“One of us needs to visit the Wizard. About the key, and what happened to me before you found me,” you explain groggily the next morning. It’s not the first morning you woke up next to Harvey in your bed, but this morning really means something so much more different. Harvey’s already getting dressed, morning person by nature, and scratches his stubble. “Well,” Harvey suggests, “I can ask Abigail to take you? She knows him well, and I have to be at the clinic this morning.” You give a groggy thumbs up, too sore to get up _just_ yet.  
An hour or so later, after a lovely breakfast courtesy of Harvey, there’s a knock on the door, with a distinctive call from Abigail, “Heyo cowpoke!” You grin and open up, heading out onto the porch. Abigail kindly doesn’t ask too many questions, as she’ll find out in the tower, just makes sure you’re doing good on the walk there. “Trust me, between the heavy pain medications and all the doting on from Harv, I’m sure I’m fine, Abby,” you explain with a laugh. When they get to the tower, Abigail enters first, to be warmly greeted by the Wizard. He then looks at you, almost expectantly. “So, you have the bone key, don’t you?”  
You’re taken aback because frankly, _fucking excuse me,_ and the fact he knows that you barely let it leave your person since you left the clinic stabs you with a defensiveness. Cooling yourself, you reply, “Yes, I do have it, in fact.” He huffs, nodding his head. “You’re here to talk to me about the pull you felt, right?” You’re startled again, “How do _you_ know that?” You question with acid on your tongue, and you blink at how angry you are all of a sudden. The wizard seems unoffended, answering, “Many adventurers have gone for the key before, for it holds a very powerful psychic power to it. Whoever left it there, wanted it to be retrieved by someone strong enough to have it; and you are simply the first to not perish before you reached the bottom of the mine.”  
 _Powerful psychic power._ Heat bubbles in your chest. “Are you saying this thing,” you dug the bone key out from deep in your pocket, “Took me over for over a week and nearly _killed_ me?” The wizard grinned and nodded affirmatively. “I knew you had it on you since I heard of the incident. I could feel it’s energy on the land no longer.”  
“That’s bullshit,” you spit, offended, “this key holds no power over me!” The Wizard frowns, then raises his hand towards you, as if he were beckoning for it. “I’m going to need it then,” he says, “pass it to me.” You seethe, overcome with frustration with the man, and shout, “Absolutely not you thief!”  
Abigail looks shocked, glancing wide eyed between you and the wizard. Your actions catch up to you and you cover your mouth.  
 _Powerful psychic power._  
“Wizard,” you say meekly, “How do I stop this. I can’t do this again.” He holds a cup out to you of a crimson liquid, smiling again, “Be glad I asked Abigail to make this a few days ago, then.” Taking it, you chug it in one go, gagging immediately afterwards at the hot and bitter taste. You feel like you’re being let go, and you briefly feel very dizzy. Coming back to your senses, you look at the key. It feels like any other object in your hand, all of the power it had before- the power you didn’t even notice, gone in a blink.

\-----

The key, as it turns out, opens another mine- in the desert, one that is bottomless and reshuffles every night, and is full of even more dangerous monsters and the rarest mineral of all- iridium. Harvey ended up staying with you in your house longer than what was needed, but he was welcomingly moved in. It’s spring now, your crops healthy, and all that’s left now is the scars along your body of what happened. Now that the painful aspect has faded, you both agree it’s _quite_ pretty on you. The elixir Abigail made in the wizard’s tower really did the trick, but that's not to say _no objects_ hold any power over you…  
You brush your thumb over the smooth, beautiful blue shell of the mermaid’s pendant in your pocket as you approach Harvey by the fountain. 

**Author's Note:**

> FUCK YEAH you get married. i wrote this all in 5 hours. thanks adhd! also i did not proofread this.


End file.
